Securing yourself from the threat

Whether you believe in the threat of cyberterrorism or not, it is always best to be safe rather than sorry.  Here are some ways you can protect yourself against the threat.

1. Always have an up-to-date antivirus software installed on your personal computer(s).

2. Update ALL of the software you use regularly. This is important because vulnerabilities in software are always being discovered and they don't discriminate by platform or vendor.

3. Use a firewall. No connection is safe without one.

4. Be smart with your email. Don't open suspicious or sketchy emails and their attachments. Open and read your emails in plain text format, this offers important security benefits...unless you really must see the pretty looking colors and fonts.

5. Avoid all anonymous file-sharing sites like the plague. These sites are packed with worms, trojans, viruses, adware, and spware. (ex. Torrent, Kazaa)


One of my favorite things to do on my PC is to download and watch movies. I bet many of you reading this do the same. Just know that many of those streaming websites where users can upload copies of movies are most likely riddled with different forms of viruses and spyware, and are therefore one of the more dangerous things you can do on the internet.


With all of that said, it is important to remember that there is more good than bad out there on the internet. The goal is not to be paranoid, it is to be informed, aware, and cautious.


After reading this list of tips, how well have you been protecting yourself recently?

Sources: 
http://antivirus.about.com/od/securitytips/a/safetytip.htm

What acts are worthy of the term "terrorism"

Our last blog was all about how to define the term cyberterrorism. Well now that you have an idea of what you think it is, let's look at some examples of computer based attacks and tell me whether it fits the definition or not (yes or no).

Case 1: Let's say a mob boss was shot but survived the shooting. That night while he was in the hospital, the assassins hacked into the hospital computer and changed his medication so that he would be given a lethal injection. He was dead a few hours later. They then changed the medication order back to its correct form, after it had been incorrectly administered, to cover their tracks so that the nurse would be blamed for the "accident".  The life of the nurse was probably ruined after this, along with the reputation of the hospital and all its employees.

Case 2: A cyber group hacks into the twitter of the Associated Press. They send out a tweet that reads "Breaking: Millions dead in the United States after Nuclear Bomb dropped".  The group potentially gained nothing from doing this, as they are anonymous....so why would they do it?

Case 3: A group hacks into the system of a large multinational bank and leaves an encrypted message for the senior directors, which threatens the bank by saying that if they do not pay a set amount of money, then they will use anything from logic bombs to electromagnetic pulses and high-emission radio frequency guns to destroy all of the banks files.  Do you think a bank would want this to go public, and have its clients see their vulnerability?


What constitutes terrorism? Is it initiative, motive, or something else....

Sources: 
http://www.viralread.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/cyber_crime.jpg

Cyberterrorism: The word with 47 different meanings.

How do we define this controversial term?

Cyberterrorism is a relatively new thing, and by no means is it clearly defined or easy to understand.  Some authors use a very narrow definition, such as "Attacks against information systems by known terrorist organizations for the sole purpose of creating disruption and panic". If you were to consider this the only possible way to define cyberterrorism, it may be difficult to find even a single instance of cyberterrorism in recent time.  

Another possible way of looking at this term is as follows, defined by Mark Pollitt, of the FBI.

“Cyberterrorism is the premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer systems, computer programs, and data which result in violence against non combatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents".

One of the reasons it may be difficult to define this controversial term is because it is necessary to differentiate cyberterrorism from the other kinds of computer abuse such as computer crime, economic espionage, and information warfare. Cyberterrorism is composed of two root words, cyber and terrorism. First, it is important to note that no single definition of the term "terrorism" has gained universal acceptance, just as no single definition for cyberterrorism has been totally accepted. Also, calling any computer attack an act of cyber terror is problematic since it is difficult to know the intent, identity, or motivations of the attacker with any real certainty at the time of the attacks.

How do you define cyberterrorism? Do you feel threatened by it? Does it even exist?

Sources:
http://www.techandlaw.net/areas-of-interest/cyberwar-and-cyberterrorism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism